Pinch-hitter Christian Arroyo follows through on a grand slam in the seventh inning Wednesday night as the Red Sox beat the Braves 10-8 at Atlanta. John Bazemore/Associated Press
ATLANTA — Christian Arroyo slugged a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning to give Boston the lead and the surging Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 10-8 on Wednesday night to move within one game of first place.
Boston recovered after blowing a 6-3 lead. Freddie Freeman hit a go-ahead homer for Atlanta in the sixth after Dansby Swanson’s three-run shot tied the game in the fifth.
The Red Sox (42-27) are only one game behind AL East-leading Tampa Bay, which lost 8-7 in 10 innings to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Boston, which moved a season-best 15 games over .500, has won three consecutive games and 5 of 7.
Adam Ottavino gave up a run-scoring double to Ronald Acuña Jr. in the ninth. Acuña was thrown out at third and Ottavino struck out Freeman for his fourth save.
The Red Sox loaded the bases against Shane Greene (0-1) in the seventh. Greene struck out Bobby Dalbec for the second out of the inning before left-hander A.J. Minter gave up Arroyo’s fourth homer deep into the left field seats. Arroyo blew kisses as he rounded third base.
Yacksel Rios (1-0) recorded one out in the sixth after he was added to the roster before the game. Rios, 27, was acquired from Seattle on Monday for cash.
Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run single in the first and Xander Bogaerts had three doubles to lead Boston’s 14-hit attack.
Garrett Richards allowed six runs, four earned, in four-plus innings.
The Braves pulled even in the fifth on Swanson’s three-run homer off Richards. With one out in the sixth, Freeman hit a low fastball from Hirokazu Sawamura into the seats in left-center for his 16th homer.
Boston swept the two-game series, extending the Braves’ woes with consecutive 10-8 victories. Atlanta (30-35) has lost 6 of 7.
Ian Anderson allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk in four innings. Boston scored two runs in the fourth off the right-hander. Dalbec’s single drove in Renfroe, who just missed a homer with his double to left field.
Braves left-hander Kyle Muller, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett before the game, gave up two runs on four hits in the fifth in his major league debut. Bogaerts’ double drove in J.D. Martinez, who singled.
Left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez survived a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. Ozzie Albies grounded out to end the inning.
NOTES: C Christian Vazquez left the game in the seventh due to a stomach illness. … Manager Alex Cora said LHP Chris Sale (Tommy John recovery) felt good Wednesday after Tuesday’s bullpen session at Triple-A Worcester. Sale is scheduled to throw again on Friday. Sale had the surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow in March 2020 and Cora said the team won’t rush his return. … IF Michael Chavis was optioned to Triple-A Worcester.
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